Dr says lose weight or else...please help!

[fatboy]

I'm a 31 year old male. Im 295 lbs. (endomorph). I havent worked out in about 5 or 6 years. Doctor says I need to lose weight, duh!

I joined Anytime Fitness thats halfway between home and work, perfect location. I'm thinking about going on the south beach diet since Im a little familiar with it from trying it before. Im also familiar with atkins diet, I lost 40 lbs on atkins a few years ago (gained it back).

I need help.

I dont know my way around the gym very well. My goal is to lose weight. Can someone suggest a workout routine for someone like me who hasnt worked out in years? I would greatly appreciate it. I will probably do the southbeach diet, I assume this is a good diet you guys recommend?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
fatboy

 

[Steve]

I'm a 31 year old male. Im 295 lbs. (endomorph). I havent worked out in about 5 or 6 years. Doctor says I need to lose weight, duh!

I joined Anytime Fitness thats halfway between home and work, perfect location. I'm thinking about going on the south beach diet since Im a little familiar with it from trying it before. Im also familiar with atkins diet, I lost 40 lbs on atkins a few years ago (gained it back).

I need help.

This is just a thought.

Why would you try diets that have failed you before. Success isn't determined by the pounds you lost than gained back.

Success is determined by the pounds you lose and keep off.

The latter requires a paradigm shift in your thinking. You're viewing these as diets - temporary ways of eating that lead to temporary results. As evidenced by your dieting history.

Rather, I'd spend some time reading the stickies on this forum and coming up with a way of eating that lends itself to not only weight control, but also happiness and permanency.

I dont know my way around the gym very well. My goal is to lose weight. Can someone suggest a workout routine for someone like me who hasnt worked out in years? I would greatly appreciate it. I will probably do the southbeach diet, I assume this is a good diet you guys recommend?

Start out very slow.

I'd start by simply doing some cardio. This could be in the form of a stationary bike, walking, the elliptical, swimming or whatever. As your conditioning improves you can start working in some higher intensity forms of cardio and weight lifting.

 

[Korrie]

hey, i just joined Anytime Fitness too! LOVE IT

 

[Garfield67]

Any input would be appreciated.

Fatboy, you know the 'mechanical' side of it and the theory around it.

You also know that all those months of absolutes and pressure for a strict 'diet' and 'working out' can be depressing .

** I vote against it. **

I suggest that you elevate your awareness above the mechanical side of it and focus on ways/tricks to make you LAST and still get results. Determination and will might not be enough. It is a slow process and you'll need years to fix it. If you accept this first, that's big step.

I won't repeat the content of my web page that have changed my life since a while but I also suggest that you have look at it. It works for me.

 

[harshathlete]

Fatboy,
Make changes that become a permanent part of your lifestyle as opposed to going on a "diet".

For starters, you can start eating more low fat foods and start drinking more water. Make it a habit to drink 2 glasses of water as soon as you wake up and try to drink as much water as you can throughout the day. Staying hydrated can help with cravings and incorrectly guessing body's need for water as a signal to eat food.

Secondly, incorporate daily walks into your routine. I honestly shed weight by walking my dog first thing in the morning for around 20-25 mins and once again at night after dinner for 20-25 minutes.

If its cold where you live, then just make sure you wear appropriate clothing ( warm jacket, gloves, cap that covers your head and ears ) when you go for a walk. Cold weather is no excuse for missing a walk.

As for food, for now focus on eliminating second and third helping and keep your portions moderate. Also DO NOT SKIP MEALS. If you are hungry, eat!

Dont make drastic changes to your lifestyle because they wont stick ( like you found out with Atkins ). Just make 1 change at a time. Dont make any changes ( however good they may sound ) that you wont be able to keep up for more than a few weeks or a month etc.

HTH
Harsh